Architecting the future: Delivering a greenfield system for a post-Brexit HMRC

Bringing in the right team

Working in close partnership with HMRC in a multi-supplier environment, Tecknuovo assessed the requirements and remotely mobilised a multidisciplinary team of 40 engineers to start work the day after the SOW was signed. Although there was an expectation that the work would be 100% remote, we placed an emphasis on engaging a team in close proximity to the HMRC head office to ensure readiness in case of the need for a physical presence at the office.

In conjunction with HMRC and other partners we:

• contributed to defining the platform architecture,
• contributed to defining the application architecture.
• defined the EPICs, and
• created a microservices architecture to deliver the new greenfield build.

Processing high volumes of complex data the greenfield system was required to process the import documents of all the users within the length of time it took to reach the UK border. Historically, imports from countries with which the UK didn’t have free trade would be on the water for weeks, allowing plenty of time to process the necessary paperwork. Following the UK’s exit from the EU, the time available in which to complete the complex paperwork was dramatically reduced, the system needed to be able to process a high level of complexity in a short amount of time.

We worked to build a system that could receive input messages, create, populate, and update the Goods Movement Reference, and send on responses.

It needed to be able to read and validate data from other inbuilt systems used by HMRC and notify these on the embarking or arrival of the goods. As we were aware that the system would be processing a high volume from day one, test automation tools were set up to support continuous integration and testing.

Delivering with an agile approach

The Tecknuovo team worked in partnership with HMRC to assess and recommend improved delivery methods to facilitate Agile working, enabling a fast and effective delivery. The one-team approach included the embedding of stand-ups, burndowns, retrospectives, mob programming, and live specs ensured the close working relationship between HMRC and the suppliers, improving the results for all delivery partners.

An evolving brief

During the project, HMRC asked for an additional Hypercare requirement to cover the post-go-live period. Tecknuovo provided two team structures of seven roles: business analyst, database administrator, two DevOps engineers, and three developers to provide round-the-clock cover. The Tecknuovo team engaged, progressed through security clearance, and onboarded the teams onto the complex system within a month of receiving the requirement.

This ensured 24/7 cover over the critical go-live period to ensure zero disruption to the service. The incidents that did occur were prioritised and triaged with the expected resolution time documented to help inform operational metrics and tracking. The unpredictable nature of the requirements meant that HMRC benefitted from the flexible Tecknuovo engagement model.

Incident levels remained low throughout the project enabling HMRC to agree a cost-saving move away from the full team round-the-clock cover, to a two-tiered on-call programme. This allowed Tecknuovo to significantly reduce the cost to the client whilst still delivering on the Hypercare requirement. Tecknuovo also created a backlog of low priority development stories that the nightshift teams could work on during low incident periods, ensuring maximum value for the taxpayers.